Built in 1664, the Sheldonian Theatre was Sir Christopher Wren’s second major building and is used for the university’s annual Commemoration. The Museum of the History of Science – housed in the Old Ashmolean Building, the world’s first purpose-built museum building – is a fascinating facility that specializes in the study of the history of science and the development of western culture and collecting. The museum includes the blackboard that Albert Einstein used during his Oxford lectures of 1931.
Other nearby attractions include the Holywell Music Room (1748), reputedly the oldest concert hall in the world, and Kettell Hall (1620) with its beautiful chapel and fine woodcarvings.